Thursday, June 30, 2011

Nut free Chocolate & Vanilla layered Cake, and a new furry family member ♥

Aloha beautiful beings!

Wonderful things have happened the past week. One of the best happened two days ago. I was biking home from the stables when I saw a malnourished, dirty cat with a wobbly walking. My heart was aching as I passed him, and for a split second I didn't see myself acting for his rescue. Then I woke up, and decided not to be one of those who passively passes by whit just a pity feeling. So I turned back, put him in my bag and took him home with me.

He threw himself over the food we gave him and ate 2 large portions, plus some turkey and cat cream. It's his third day in our home and we are doing everything to pamper him and try to put some weight on him. Besides cat food, he's fed yolk, virgin coconut oil (as it kills bacteria, viruses and fungus plus has an insane nutritional value and gives energy) and he's got worm medicine. I went to the police to report that I found this cat, and if the owner doesn't show up within three months, he's ours to keep :)

We think he's a norwegian forest cat, as he has extra claws as they do. He seems smart, a bit like a dog, ok - smarter, only that he does the things he feels like. And he's really cuddly, constantly purring and craves attention. He's got a big scar on his head too, I truly hope no one has hit him..

Now to the cake! I wanted to make a grand, epic layered cake again (it's an addiction of mine). This time nut free. Nut free, is the new black in the raw food community. Being such a young community, it's super sensitive to trends. Nut free is good if you have a certain condition as an allergy, food intolerance, if you want to loose weight, or have a sensitive digestive system that cant handle too much fat at the moment.

However, this cake is fat. The nuts in a regular raw cake, gives great stability. In the raw dessert kitchen, you really have two options, making nut free desserts. Make an ice cream-cake (which means that you loose flavor), or put lots of fat in the cake so it hardens in the fridge.

This cake is a bit of a crossbreed. You need to "take care" of the cake, meaning that if it's a warm day and you have it in room temperature, it will start to melt and loose form. You then need to eat it up quickly, or put it in the fridge / freezer. Alternatively, you make half the recipe to make a smaller cake.

• 0.5 cup dates (pit and soak them 15-30 min) alternatively use figs, only soak them at least 30 min.

• a pinch pink Himalayan salt

First make a flour of the shredded coconuts. If you have an electric coffee grinder at home, use it. Otherwise make the flour in a food processor. Put a side in a bowl. Now make a date paste of the dates by processing them in a food processor. Use a spatula or spoon to help the processing. Add the coconut flour and salt. Process to incorporate, or use your hands. Press down the base in a spring pan and put in the fridge while, making the vanilla and chocolate layers.

Vanilla layer:

• 2 cups of water

• 1 cups of shredded coconuts

This is to be mixed very, very thoroughly, about 5-8 minutes. The water and coconut is not going to blend. When you see coconut butter start to form in the mixture it's time to add:

• 3 bananas (about 300 g totally)

• 2 small pinches of pink Himalayan salt

• 0.5 tsp real Vanilla

• 3 tsp light or transparent Agave, or the sweetener of your choice

• 0.5 cup melted Cacao butter (100 g of solid chopped Cacao butter)

• 2 tsp Sunflower lecitin (to make creamier and as an emulsifier)

The sunflower lecitin is to go in last. Blend well to incorporate. When you have a smooth filling, pour some of it over the base (about 1.5 cm / 0.5 inch) and put in the freezer to harden while you make the chocolate layer.

Chocolate layer:

• 400 g avocado (about 4 avocados)

• 1 cup raw Cacao powder

• 1.5 cup water

• 2 tbsp Mesquite powder

• 1/3 cup melted Cacao butter (70 g as hard)

• 7 tbsp Agave or the sweetener of your choice

• 2 pinches of pink Himalayan salt

• about 5 drops of Mint essence

Melt the coconut butter in a water bath (boil some water and put a plate or bowl on top, where you place the cacao butter, to slowly melt). Peel the avocados and put all of the ingredients in a food processor and mix to incorporate. Now, take out the spring pan from the freezer to check if the vanilla layer is hard enough for the chocolate layer to be spread on top. Feel with a finger so it's not too lose. If it is and you spread the chocolate layer on top, you will not get the straight stripe-effect when you cut the cake. Put the cake in the freezer for every layer (there will be 4 layers + the icing).

Chocolate icing:

• 1 cups virgin Coconut oil, about 200 g. (Hard but soft enough to scoop up with a spoon)

• 3-4 pinches of pink Himalayan salt

• 4 tbsp raw Cacao powder

• 2 cups of dates, pitted and soaked

• 6 tbsp water

This will be enough to coat the entire cake with frosting (recommended). If you only wish to coat the top, you only need half the recipe. Put all the ingredients in a food processor and mix very well, until you get a perfect, smooth consistency.

Take out the cake from the freezer, it doesn't need to be rock hard, but rather firm. Remove the spring pan and with a spatula or knife, spread the frosting on top of the cake and decorate with blackberries, blueberries or what you feel like. Thaw it enough so that you can cut pieces with a sharp knife, but be careful so that the cake is not too loose. Eat it immediately!

That looks absolutely amazing! I am blown away by the ingredients. I used avocado as a base to make dark chocolate mousse last week, so I imagine this is heavenly. I'm saving this to try some day. Thanks :)

@ J3nn: Thank you! Yes, avocado is a saviour!! :D It was fun to make, it lasted a long time in the fridge too. I'm imagining a lot of other desserts that will be born out of this one, the mother of my future nut free creations ;)

@ Heidi: Thanks Heidi :) Yeah, it's a totally new life here with the cat in the home (it doesn't have a name yet). He has a strong presence but kinda lurks around and sees everything :) Hihi..